Creasing device



May 20, 1941. J. L. LAMIA GREASING DEVICE F iled Oct. 28, 1959 INVENTORjosepiz 1:. Lama M ATTOR Y Patented May 20, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENTOFFICE CREASIN G DEVICE Joseph L. Lamia, Bayside, N. Y.

Application October 28, 1939, Serial No. 301,780

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to garment pressing devices and moreparticularly to a device adapted to creasing trousers, pleated skirts,and so forth.

It is one object of the invention to provide a device of the characterdescribed which shall be simple and economical of manufacture andassembly.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of apressing or creasing device consisting of a casing comprising twosimilar parts of heat insulating material arranged to completely protectthe user from contact with the heat applying surfaces.

A more specific object is to provide a pressing device in which the heatconducting element which engages the garment is formed of a single sheetof metal and adapted to be sprung into position between the elements ofthe housing.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of .a deviceof the character described in which the heat conducting element whichengages the garment may be retained in position in the device withoutrecourse to the use of fastenings of any kind.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent in the accompanyingdrawing taken in conjunction with the following description of apreferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of the device in assembled relationship.

Figure 2 is an interior perspective view of onehalf of a two part shellutilized for the case or housing of the device.

Figure 3 [is a perspective view of the interior of a second shell whichco-acts with the shell of Figure 2 to form the complete housing.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a metallic or other heat conductingpart, which engages the garment.

Figure 5 is perspective view of one form of heating element used withthe device.

In prior creasing devices such as are illustrated in the United StatesPatents to Bellman, Nos. 1,889,432 and 1,959,047, issued Nov. 29, 1932,and May 15, 1934 respectively the garment engaging metallic surfaces areexposed so as to present an accident hazard in the hands ofinexperienced users.

In the embodiment of my invention as herein disclosed, the garmentengaging metallic surfaces are completely shielded from contact with theusers fingers so as to entirely eliminate the possibility of beinginadverently burned while using the device.

The housing shells comprise elongated, substantially hollow bodyportions having side walls H and I2, forward end wall I3, and a rear endwall I4, the latter of which results from a substantial merging orstreamlining of the side walls II and I2.

To retard the circulation of heat from that end of the device whichcontains the garment engaging element, as identified by the end wall I3,I provide a partition wall I5 extending between the side wall so as todivide the shell into forward and rear compartments.

In order to adequately support the garment engaging surface as well asfor the purpose of lending rigidity to the housing shells, the forwardcompartment is provided with one or more longitudinally extending websI6 which preferably terminate .at their rear ends in engagement with thepartition wall Hi.

The upper edges of the side walls II and I2, as shown by the numeral ITin Figures 2 and 3, lie in a common plane to define contacting faces oredges which abut when the shells are in assembled relationship as shownin Figure 1.

Although the respective elements of the shell may be secured inassembled relationship by the use of rivets or screws, I prefer toemploy a combination of both so as to minimize the assembly worknecessary in preparing the device for use. To this end a key I8 projectssubstantially normally from the plane surface I! of side wall I2. Asclearly shown, the key i8 is generally rectangular in contour andincludes two stepped sections I9 and 20, as more clearly disclosed inFigure 3.

The side wall II is formed with a cut-out portion 2| comp-risingsections 22 and 23, which are complementary to the parts I9 and 29 ofthe key [8 and aligned therewith.

Now it will be seen that when the two shell pieces comprising the casingare placed face to face with their plane surfaces IT in engagement, thekey I8 will engage the recess 2| to prevent lateral displacement of theparts.

Reverting again to the forward portion of the shell, it will be notedthat the upper edge of the forward wall I3, as well as the upper edgesof side walls II and I2, are formed with a continuous slot 24 whichextends from their intersections with the partition I5 throughout thelength of forward wall I3.

The garment engaging surfaces of the device as shown in Figure 4, arepreferably formed from a single metallic plate 25. To define a V shapedsection in which the included angle is greater than the angle definedbetween the edges of the forward ends of the shells when the latter arein an assembled relation. That is, the part 25 whether stamped from asingle sheet or formed of two pieces riveted or otherwise secured alongone edge, is such that its two component surfaces must be sprungtogether in order to be received between the two halves of the shell.The peripheral edges of the metallic plate 25 are turned outwardly asshown at 26, so that when the plate and the shell are assembled theturned edges 25 of the former will engage the grooves 24 of the latter,thus maintaining the plate in assembled position without the necessityof employing fastenings of any kind.

With the view of obtaining maximum creasing efficiency, both surfaces ofpart 25 are heated.

In the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed, I provide a heatelement 21 (Figure 5) comprising independent units 28, 29, 33 and 3|, itbeing apparent that one of the units will be positioned in each of theforward sub-divisions of the shell which are provided by the web l3 andin close proximity to the interior surfaces of the metallic plate 25.The lead wires 32, 33, 34 and 35 extend from their respective heatingunits through apertures 36 and 31 in the partition wall I5 to anelectrical conductor 38 which leads from the shell through a bore 43. Itwill be obvious that one-half of the bore 43 is formed in each elementof the shell. It will be understood, of course, that I may lead aheating unit from the conductor 38 through the forward portion of one ofthe shells and then around the apex of the part 25 to the other elementof the shell and thence back to the conductor 38, so as to form a simplelooped effect rather than to employ the individual heating elementsshown in Figure 5. If desirable, the heating element may be insulatedfrom the shell as by the use of a layer of asbestos which will at thesame time function to maintain the heating element in close proximity tothe surface of plane 25.

I assemble the device by positioning the heating elements, two on eitherside of the metallic plate, after which the plate itself is laid in theupstanding part of one of the housing shells with its peripheral edges26 engaging the slot 24.

The second part of the shell is then laid upon the first half andcompressed into engagement therewith against the spring-like action ofplate 25, after which a headed screw 39 or a rivet, is inserted in alined aperture 49 formed in a boss 4| in the rear portion of thehousing.

To facilitate use of the device I have formed the external surfaces ofthe shell with an indentation 42 adapted to receive the thumb andforefinger of the user and simultaneously prevent the fingers frommoving forwardly to the heated end of the device. If desirable, theforward end of the shell may be formed with vents to dissipate the heatgenerated by the units 28, 29, 3B and 3|.

It will be seen that I have provided a construction which is simple andeconomical to manufacture, readily assembled and disassembled forpurposes of repair and in which a single simple mold is sufficient toprovide the two elements of the housing.

Additionally, it will be apparent that the heating plate is retained inposition in the housing without the use of fastenings of any kind andthat the heating units themselves are secured against displacement bybeing segregated in independent sub-divisions of the house.

Furthermore, it will be obvious that the creasing surfaces of the part25 are completely shielded from the hands of the user by the insulatingmaterial of the housing which of itself is formed to prevent directcirculation of heat from the coil 21 to the handle, or rear portion ofthe device.

In use, the device is held between the fingers, the palm of the handengaging the rear portion of the shell or housing. The garment to becreased is then supported in a relatively rigid manner from a hanger, orthe like, the lower edge being engaged by the free hand and the creasingdevice is passed up and down in contact with the fabric which is guidedin engagement with the V shaped metallic plate 25 until a satisfactorycrease is formed. The uniform distribution of heat as accomplished bysimilar heating of both surfaces of the part 25, greatly expedites theoperation and insures a finished and satisfactory result.

I claim as my invention:

1. A creasing device comprising in combination, a pair of similarco-acting housing shells of heat insulating material, each of saidshells including a rear portion having a plane peripheral edge whichco-acts with the similar edge of the other to form a closed handleportion of the housing, and a forward portion having a peripheral edgemerging with but extending angularly outwardly from the plane of saidbeforementioned edge, and a substantially V shaped heat conductingelement arranged to be received between the angularly disposed edges ofthe forward portion of said housing, the surfaces of said V shapedelement defining an included angle greater than the angle between theedges of the forward portions of said housing so that when thebeforementioned rear edges of the housing are positioned in abuttingrelationship, the V shaped heat conducting element will be clampedbetween the angularly disposed forward edges of the shell, and means toheat both surfaces of said V shaped elements.

2. A housing shell for a creasing device comprising in combination, arear portion having an upwardly turned peripheral edge and a forwardportion having a peripheral edge merging with but angularly disposed tothe plane of the peripheral edge of the beforementioned rear portion, abridge wall extending between the peripheral edges of the rear portionto substantially insulate the latter from said forward portion, and aweb formed internally of said forward portion and extending from saidbridge wall to reinforce said forward portion.

JOSEPH L. LAMIA.

